Remote Sensing Tools

Adam Campbell over at Xavisys released Google Maps for Wordpress — a plug-in that makes use of WordPress 2.5’s ShortCode system for easy inclusion of Google Maps. All you need is a Google Maps API key for your WordPress site and WordPress version 2.5.1 or higher. (Their site does not appear to view in IE — you’ll need an alternate browser other than IE.)

A nice compliment to this plug-in would be my Google Maps Quicktag for WordPress — in the event one wishes to embed maps directly from your My Maps account, or include a map that’s more custom. Both, together, would give a wider range of options in map publishing within the WordPress editing environment.

The Pentagon is infiltrating the media with pro-war propaganda.
Take Action Now
Watch the Video

We’re seeing the first cracks in the White House’s scheme to spread pro-war propaganda via corporate media. One more push will break this scandal wide open.

Late last month, the New York Times exposed a shady Pentagon program to embed up to 75 “propaganda pundits” on every major news network. These so-called experts went on the air to cover up bad news about Iraq with White House spin.

Sen. Barack Obama sits on an influential committee that could hold hearings and investigate whether this “selling of the war” violates federal law. It is crucial that your elected officials hear from you now.

Urge Senator Obama: Investigate the Propaganda Pundits

Since the story broke in the Times, nearly 30,000 Free Press activists have sent letters to Congress. Sens. John Kerry (D-Mass.), Carl Levin (D-Mich.), and Russ Feingold (D-Wis.) have already responded, calling for a full investigation. In the House, Rep. Rosa DeLauro (D-Conn.) has gathered more than 40 other representatives to demand answers from the Pentagon.

By sending a letter to your elected officials, you’re helping end years of media distortion by the White House targeted at the American public.

Urge Senator Obama: Expose the War Deception

The blame for propaganda doesn’t end with the Bush administration. Despite the Times’ front-page treatment, nearly every mainstream news outlet has ignored this explosive story — opting to sweep under the carpet a scandal that reaches deep into their own newsrooms.

The news blackout on the Pentagon’s propaganda scandal highlights the failure of a consolidated media system.

The Pentagon’s propaganda wouldn’t have spread far if not for the administration’s cozy relationship with corporate media outlets like Fox, ABC, NBC, CBS and CNN. Their failure to properly question the case for war — to counter the official version with dissenting views — poses a fundamental threat to our democracy.

Tell Your Friends: Help Expose the Truth

Spreading “covert propaganda” is illegal under U.S. law. Senator Obama should now join colleagues on the Hill and investigate whether the Pentagon and corporate media crossed the line. Big media and the Pentagon have a lot to answer for. It’s time we learned the truth about war propaganda.

Thank you,
Josh Silver
Executive Director
Free Press Action Fund
http://www. freepress. net/

1. Read Rep. DeLauro’s Letter: http://www.house.gov/delauro/press/2008/May/Defense_IG_5_2_08.html

2. Read Senator Levin’s Letter: http://levin.senate.gov/newsroom/supporting/2008/SASC.Gates.042308.pdf

3. Read Senator Kerry’s Letter: http://kerry. senate. gov/cfm/record. cfm?id=296846

4. Read Senator Feingold’s Letter: http://feingold. senate. gov/pdf/ltr_gao_050108. pdf

5. The New York Times’ latest editorial on the scandal: http://www. nytimes. com/2008/04/26/opinion/26sat2. html

I recommend everyone watch this. Bill Moyers is, of course, very well respected — because we all realize that Bill Moyers has a way about how to point-out the reality of things.:

Thanks. To note, this issue has been very sad for me to watch unfold, as it’s become obvious why the candidate himself doesn’t deserve anyone’s judgement in regards to Wright. We’re all much smarter than that, really. We all understand that there’s something that needs to change — and things like Hillary Clinton’s camp, or the Republican camp constantly hitting Barack Obama with this issue is perhaps the most corrupt thing I’ve ever witnessed within my lifetime, and it truly saddens me that — Americans can come to this — resort to that.

Wow, like we didn’t know this all along:
http://blogs.abcnews.com/politicalradar/2008/05/…

Boy, he sure knows how to out the Republicans, don’t he though?

NPR’s covering this story now as well — and it looks like they’re finding out that it spreads across most of the primary states (previous and present):

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=90114863

If you click ‘listen now’ it gets into very informative aspects of this story. This has been occurring for over five months…

Southern Studies has discovered that the Clinton affiliated group responsible for the robocalls in an apparent aim to supress voting in North Carolina and other states has been linked even deeper:

http://southernstudies.org/facingsouth/2008/04/…

Out of control!

Roger SimonWed Apr 30, 7:29 PM ET

Hillary Clinton leads Barack Obama in the popular vote, and this is her path to victory.

She will ultimately win the Democratic nomination by convincing the superdelegates that her popular vote lead makes it legitimate for them to support her. It gives them the cover they need to deny Obama a nomination that he otherwise would have won.

What’s wrong with this picture?

First, Clinton does not lead Obama in the popular vote. It is a fantasy.

Second, the people she most needs to convince that this fantasy is true are the people least likely to believe it.

Let’s first deal with Clinton’s fantasy lead in the popular vote.

“I’m very proud that as of today, I have received more votes by the people who have voted than anyone else,” Clinton said the day after her victory in the April 22 Pennsylvania primary.

But has she really? No. Not really. Not unless you throw out the existing rules of the Democratic Party and invent a new set of Hillary Rules.

Under Hillary Rules, Clinton counts the popular vote in Michigan, where she was the only major candidate on the ballot. The Democratic Party does not recognize those votes.

Under Hillary Rules, Clinton also counts the popular vote in Florida, where candidates were forbidden to campaign. The Democratic Party does not recognize the results of the Florida primary, either.

Under Hillary Rules, Clinton throws out the “votes by the people who have voted” in the states of Iowa, Nevada, Maine and Washington, because those were caucus states, where popular vote tallies were not officially kept and where, by the way, Obama won three out of the four contests.

Under Hillary Rules, Clinton gets to choose the contests that help her, throw out the contests that do not and declare herself the winner.

Steve Kornacki of The New York Observer did an excellent, detailed story last week on Clinton and the popular vote, going through a number of different scenarios and projections for the contests that remain.

His conclusion: “The point is that under the most basic and probably the fairest criteria — simply counting every state and U.S. possession where there was a legitimate primary or a caucus where popular votes were tallied — Obama will finish the primary season hundreds of thousands of votes ahead of Clinton.”

But, hey, he’s a journalist, and journalists don’t count. Only the superdelegates count now, and this is where Hillary must win.

Which is her real problem. As I have previously pointed out, 56 percent of all superdelegates are members of the Democratic National Committee itself, and the DNC represents the largest bloc of delegates who have not yet committed to a candidate.

Am I saying that the DNC, the ultimate insiders, could decide who the Democratic nominee is? Yes, that is exactly what I am saying.

Why is this a problem for Clinton?

Because more than anybody, DNC members know that the popular vote doesn’t count, even though Clinton says it does.

The DNC made the current rules. If it had wanted a national primary, a day on which all Democrats across the land would vote and choose the nominee (a legitimate idea), it would have created such a system.

But the DNC created a different system, one in which pledged delegates — selected from legitimate primaries and caucuses — and superdelegates get to select the nominee.

OK, but let’s say you got the DNC members really, really drunk (not an outrageous scenario) and convinced them that the popular vote ought to count. Could you then convince them that counting Michigan and Florida makes sense?

No way. For starters, the DNC is the group that declared Michigan and Florida rogue states in the first place. Do you really think the DNC is now likely to accept the popular vote count from those states?

Second, to make Clinton’s popular vote fantasy work, you have to throw out the votes in legitimate caucus states such as Iowa. The DNC turns its back on Iowa? As if.

Lastly, there is the big picture: Will the DNC really overturn the choice of the pledged delegates and substitute Clinton as the nominee over Obama?

I doubt it. First and foremost, DNC members care about the party and its future. So ask yourself: Is the DNC going to shatter the party by telling black voters and young voters that their votes in legitimate primaries and caucuses do not count?

Clinton can try to make up her own set of rules, but that doesn’t mean they are going to rule the DNC or the day.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/politico/20080430/pl_politico/9994&printer=1;_ylt=Ajq0X4o8FRP4X8DW9uJ4ZVjCw5R4

Clinton and McCain are so out of control — say anything to win — it simply boggles the mind at this point. Meanwhile, the guy who actually understands economics and hasn’t done anything to deserve the hits he’s been getting, keeps taking it.

Hey, Clinton and McCain — I thought you said you were in this to supposedly NOT put band-aids on problems? I definitely don’t like the idea of the band-aids that cause greater problems, or spread the infection, so no thank you!

By Alec MacGillis and Steven Mufson
Washington Post Staff Writers
Thursday, May 1, 2008; Page A01

A growing chorus — including a top congressional Democrat — labeled Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton’s proposal for suspending the federal gasoline tax ineffective and shortsighted yesterday, even as she continued to paint Sen. Barack Obama as insensitive to drivers’ woes for not endorsing the plan.

The Democrats’ clash on the issue has emerged as a flash point in the week before the presidential primaries in Indiana and North Carolina and is emblematic of the broader contrast that the candidates have presented: Clinton says she would make immediate bread-and-butter fixes for struggling Americans, while Obama portrays himself as a truth-teller who would bring a new kind of politics to Washington and produce more lasting change.

Backing up Obama’s position against Clinton’s proposal to suspend the 18.4-cent-per-gallon tax for the summer is a slew of economists who argue that the proposal, first offered by Sen. John McCain, the presumptive GOP nominee, would be counterproductive. They argue that cutting the tax would drive up demand for gas at a time when the supply is tight, which would mean that the price at the pump would drop by much less than 18 cents per gallon.

The tax suspension would, as a result, cut into the highway trust fund that the tax supports, a loss of about $9 billion over the summer, but also result in fatter profit margins for oil companies. Clinton says she would replace the lost revenue by raising taxes on the oil industry.

Harvard professor N. Gregory Mankiw, who has written a best-selling textbook on economics, said what he teaches is different from what Clinton and McCain are saying about gas taxes. “What you learn in Economics 101 is that if producers can’t produce much more, when you cut the tax on that good the tax is kept . . . by the suppliers and is not passed on to consumers,” he said.

Source:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/04/30/AR2008043003575.html

How much money is 570,000 multiplied by 5,000 dollars? My calculator doesn’t go that high. And that’s just for the calls made in North Carolina.

Nevermind, I guess I could just do it the sloppy way:

570 x $5000 = $2,850,000
Apply zeros from 570,000 = $2,850,000,000

But let’s give them the benefit of the doubt, I suppose and say that the average sustains the final amount:

570 x $2750 (average) = $1,567,500
Apply zeros from 570,000 = $1,567,500,000

Hmm. That’s still quite a bit, I think.

Let’s say they only pay the minimum enforcement fee of $500 (on average, thinking only half will collect):

570 x $500 = $285,000
Apply zeros from 570,000 = $285,000,000

Is that right? Because that’s a ****load of money right there either way you look at it.

Yes. Yes, you can. It is right here — for you — on my server for to download:

Robocall from Clinton Affiliated Group

WAV file though — sorry, didn’t feel like converting the original source to Flash FLV.

Additional reading for this morning about the topic — very interesting stuff, of course:

http://politicalchase.com/2008/05/01/…

http://www.dailykos.com/storyonly/2008/4/30/11055/6499/141/506343

Enjoy. I know I didn’t exactly enjoy it. In fact, it made me a little more mad than I already was, actually.

This is the latest — looks like they’re finally digging deep into this at various places — I noticed they began to question everything intensly in all the right places, starting with Huffington Post and so on:

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/04/30/…

Which leads to a more informative piece that highlights all the problems associated in the various states (not just North Carolina).

http://southernstudies.org/facingsouth/2008/04/…

So good — they’re finally catching on and not excusing whatever ‘apology’ was given by the organization that was making illegal robo-calls in the first place!

Maggie Williams is not mentioned in the DailyKos reference, but a web search reveals the following:

Chief of staff to former president Bill Clinton the Clinton Foundation in New York City, served in The White House as an assistant to President Clinton in 93-97, and also served as chief of staff to First Lady Hillary Clinton. Williams currently serves as Hillary Clinton’s Presidential Campaign Manager.

Women Vote Williams bio and background

John Podesta, Bill Clinton’s former Chief of Staff, also serves on the board of the group behind the NC robo-calls:
Podesta

Women’s Vote has attempted to remove all references to Maggie Williams from their website, but the now defunct info was captured and archived on July 8, 2007:
http://web.archive.org/web/20070706100052/www.wv…

Williams “is a partner in GriffinWilliams LLC, a management consulting firm that helps public and private sector clients navigate transitions and respond to political challenges”, and Pat Griffin, her business partner and other half of Griffen Williams, also serves on the leadership team of Women’s Voices.

Pro-Clinton 527 Group Behind SwiftBoat-Style Attack Ads Against Obama - Obama Files FEC Complaint

Obama campaign files FEC complaint against pro-Clinton group

http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2008/04/30/obama-campaign-files-fec-complaint-against-pro-clinton-group

(CNN) – Barack Obama’s campaign has filed a formal complaint over a pro-Hillary Clinton group running ads attacking the Illinois senator on jobs and the economy in the critical primary state of Indiana.

The American Leadership Project, which includes veterans of the Clinton administration and longtime supporters, is a “527,” which means it is not bound by federal campaign finance laws as long as it does not directly advocate on behalf of a particular candidate.

The group announced earlier this week that it was planning to buy $700,000 worth of airtime in the state leading up to Tuesday’s vote. It has aired other spots in support of Clinton in key primary states like Pennsylvania, Ohio and Texas.

The Obama campaign planned a conference call this morning with general counsel Bob Bauer to discuss the specifics of the complaint filed Wednesday with the Federal Elections Commission.

Several weeks ago, the Obama campaign used the group in its own fundraising appeals, sending supporters a plea for donations that pointed to actions by “Swift Boat-style groups and smear campaigns.”

“News broke yesterday that a few wealthy Clinton supporters are gearing up for a massive spending campaign to boost her chances in the big upcoming contests in Texas and Ohio on March 4th,” wrote David Plouffe in an e-mail message.

“The so-called ‘American Leadership Project’ will take unlimited contributions from individuals and is organized the same way as the infamous Swift Boat Veterans for Truth,” he added.

The move marks at least the third time this week that representatives of a presidential candidate or national party campaign committee have filed — or threatened to file — FEC complaints over attack ads.

BREAKING: Source of deceptive NC robo-calls exposed

Facing South has confirmed the source of the calls, and the mastermind is Women’s Voices Women Vote, a D.C.-based nonprofit which aims to boost voting among “unmarried women voters.”

What’s more, Facing South has learned that the firestorm Women’s Voices has ignited in North Carolina isn’t the group’s first brush with controversy. Women’s Voices’ questionable tactics have spawned thousands of voter complaints in at least 11 states and brought harsh condemnation from some election officials for their secrecy, misleading nature and likely violations of election law.

Yesterday, I placed a call to the Virginia State Police, which had investigated similar suspicious robo-calls before that Virginia’s primaries last February. Their investigation concluded that the source of the calls was Women’s Voices Women Vote.

Facing South then contacted Women’s Voices, and staffer Sarah Johnson confirmed they were doing similar robo-calls in North Carolina; they later admitted that they were the ones behind the deceptive “Lamont Williams” calls.

Women’s Voices Executive Director Joe Goode worked for Bill Clinton’s election campaign in 1992 as a pollster; the group’s website says he was intimately involved in “development and implementation of all polling and focus groups done for the presidential primary and general election campaigns” for Clinton.

Some have also questioned the ties between Women’s Voices operatives and Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Hillary Clinton. Gardner, for example, contributed $2,500 to Clinton’s HILLPAC on May 4, 2006, and in March 2005 she donated a total of $4,200 to Clinton, according to The Center for Responsive Politics’ OpenSecrets.org. She has not contributed to the Obama campaign, according to the database.

http://www.dailykos.com/storyonly/2008/4/30/11055/6499/141/506343

That just kind of says it all about what’s been happening, doesn’t it? I’ve been watching this progressively change since the play against Yahoo! and the recent visa request in Congress — and sure enough, there it is. The trend does not lie.

Google Maps Quicktag has been updated only by version number to reflect its compatibility with WordPress version 2.5. While no upgrade is necessary, the automated upgrade system with the repository at WordPress.org caused some to think that it was not compatible.